Traditional caskets have historically been employed for both in-ground burial and above-ground interment. Traditional caskets are typically fabricated from fine furniture-grade wood or from highly polished/finished sheet metal, for aesthetic reasons.
While traditional in-ground burial and above-ground interment in a traditional casket continue to be the method of choice for the ultimate disposition of the remains of the deceased for a majority of funeral customers, cremation nevertheless continues to be a growing segment of the death care industry. Cremation caskets are typically fabricated of corrugated fiberboard, sometimes referred to as cardboard, of hardboard, or of plywood, due to the combustibility and low cost of these materials. Of these materials, cardboard generally tends to be the least expensive, and accordingly a significant percentage of cremation caskets are fabricated from cardboard.
Briefly, corrugated board or cardboard is made from papers made up of cellulose fibers, either virgin or recycled. Two sheets of paper, called liners, are glued to opposite surfaces of a corrugated inner medium, called the fluting. These three layers of paper, assembled in this way, form a series of connected arches that provide a structure having overall better strength/stiffness characteristics than that of each individual layer.
Cardboard cremation caskets present significant design challenges. Both traditional caskets and cremation caskets include a lower body containing portion known as a shell or base, and an upper portion known as a cap or lid closeable on the lower portion. One particularly compelling challenge in designing cardboard cremation caskets is how to achieve the required stiffness of the shell portion of the cardboard casket so that the cardboard casket will not twist, deflect, or otherwise have its shape distorted under the load of the deceased. Another compelling design challenge for designers of cardboard cremation caskets is aesthetics—how to present the cardboard cremation casket in the most aesthetically pleasing manner.
While advances have been made in the design of cardboard cremation caskets, there nevertheless continues to be room for improvement in this area.